Gerald
Ford. 38th President of the Unites States of America. Pardoner
of Nixon. Cartoonist's nightmare.

Yes,
as hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when the editorial
cartoonists of America had a president so boring looking he
was almost impossible to draw accurately. No one could seem
to agree on what Gerry's most dominant feature was. His chin?
His forehead? His upper lip? As a result, the caricatures
of the President varied greatly from artist to artist.

As
a tribute to these troubled cartoonists I have created a mini
gallery of the many Fords that appeared on the editorial pages
during the first shaky years of his Administration.

Artist:
Drapper Hill

A fairy tame caricature of President
Ford that fails to really play-up or play-down any particular
part of his face. When a new personality appears on the political
scene, its usually a good idea to start slow, and wait for the
commedians to tell you what's wrong with his face.

Artist:
Lou Grant

Another tame caricature. When you
have to label the President of the United States in big letters
on his coat, you know something's wrong.

Artist:
Paul Conrad

Paul Conrad is usually a real pro
when it comes to caricatures, but even he is no match for the
face from Hell. The famously left-wing Conrad likes to make all
Republicans look evil, but the look just doesn't work with the
dopey Ford.

Artist:
Bill Schorr

Gerald Ford used to be a pro football
player, so putting him in his jersey helps the likeness. Schorr
was also ahead of his time with the big upper lip, which is now
considered a staple in Ford caricatures.

Artist:
Ralph Steadman

Crazy drugged out Ralph Steadman
sees Ford as some sort of scarecrow type creature. He's one of
the few cartoonists that noticed up that Ford is bald, though.

Artist:
John Lane

Ford has a big forehead, but it's
not that big.

Artist:
Pat Oliphant

Pat has drawn eight Presidents in
his career.They always start out weird looking, and gradually
evolve 'till they look more normal. Ford's chin got smaller and
forehead got bigger as the years went by.

Artist:
Dave Simpson

A skullish head sits atop a tiny
body in this caricature of President Ford. The big head / small
body look may work with some politicians, but when the politician
has a huge body in real life, the look is merely distracting.

Artist:
Roy Peterson

Another giant head little body cartoon.
I like this Ford the best. It's fairly realistic in terms of detail,
maybe that's what makes it work. He still looks a bit too evil,
though.

Artist:
David Levine

The features are perfect on
this one, but they need more space on the head. Luckily, Levine
knew this, and his subsequent Fords are some of the most accurate
I've ever seen.

Artist:
Ed Sorrel

Ed Sorrel was quick to pick up on
Ford's Frankensteinyness. As long as you follow Frankenstein's
proportions, your drawing of the President will be pretty accurate.

Artist:
Mike Peters

Mike Peter's early work was a lot
tenser than the wild "Mother Goose and Grim" type stuff
he's now known for. Peters says Frankenstien was his inspiration
when he drew Ford, but from the look of it, I'd say he was influenced
more by Pat Oliphant.

Artist:
Gerald Scarfe

Big lips on this picture of President
Ford give him an almost African American look. Scarfe would later
drop the lips and instead give Ford huge flappy ears.

Artist:
Ed Gamble

Gamble was one of the few cartoonists
to notice Gerry's tiny crooked teeth. Geez, Ford sure had a lot
of weird deformities for someone who was so hard to draw.